Almost everyone likes speed! You may not like to go fast on a ride at a fairground, but imagine the thrill of looking at something going fast, whether it's a rocket shooting into the air, a friend winning a race in the sports or racing cars on a formula 1 track.
One of the fastest things in the universe is light. Light travels at a speed of about 186,270 miles per second. This means that although the sun is about 93,000,000 miles away from Earth its light reaches our eyes in 8 minutes and 20 seconds.
Here is a list of some of the fastest things in the world:
Usain Bolt – He holds the world record for running 100m. He ran this distance in 9.58 seconds in 2009.
SSC Tuatara – In 2020 this car reached a speed of 331 miles per hour! Because it is so fast a camera system has to be used to help with the steering.
Hunting cheetah – Can run up to 70 miles per hour. Sailfish can swim up to the same speed which makes them the fastest fish in the sea.
Peregrine Falcon – This is a bird that can fly at a speed of 200 miles per hour, meaning that it is the fastest animal in the world.
Tornado in Oklahoma – The tornado winds here reached 286 miles per hour on May 3rd 1999. This is the highest reading ever for wind.
Water slide – The fastest water slide is in Brazil. The slide is 41 metres high and people reach speeds of 65 miles per hour on it.
Remember to read and learn more about the fast things in our world in this article.
Speed Cameras
Do you know someone who has been caught by a speed camera? More than one and a half million drivers are caught each year.
What is the point of speed cameras?
They are used so that more drivers stick to the speed limits. If drivers do this, fewer accidents occur, and if there is an accident, fewer people get serious injuries or are killed.
For example, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents provides these statistics:
How many drivers break the speed limit?
According to government statistics, 58% break the speed limits on 30mph roads. 57% break the speed limit on motorways (70mph).
Is everyone in favour of speed cameras?
Three quarters of drivers who are members of the AA (motoring association) are in favour of speed cameras. Those opposed to cameras argue that they are only used to make money.
Hair and nails
How quickly do hair and nails grow?
Hair
On average, people's hair grows 1.25 centimeters a month, which is about 15 centimeters a year. This depends on several things, for example, your age, and how healthy you are. The hair on the crown of your head grows fastest.
Nails
Here are some interesting facts about nails:
How to get your nails to grow faster:
Pendine Sands
Pendine Sands has been used to try to break several world records. By the 1920s it was decided that roads and tracks weren’t suitable for trying to break the world land speed record. Looking at many other options it was decided that Pendine Sands was perfect as it was long and flat.
The first person to do so was Malcolm Campbell. On 25 September 1924 he broke the land speed record by travelling 146.16 miles per hour in his Bluebird car.
This world record was broken four times between 1924 and 1927, twice by Campbell and twice by the Welshman J G Parry-Thomas. On his last run trying to break the world record once again J G Parry-Thomas died in his car called Babs.
In April 2019 Zef Eisenberg broke the record on his Suzuki Hayabusa bike with am average of 182.4 miles per hour.
Why not research Zef Eisenberg's story and watch a video of his tremendous feat?
Cassini Spacecraft and Virgin Galactic
For centuries, people have dreamed of leaving Earth and travelling through space to other worlds.
In the last 60 years, many rockets and satellites have been sent up into space towards each of the Universe's planets, asteroids and comets. So far, around 500 people have travelled into space and 12 of them have walked on the moon!
Cassini-Huygens
The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft was sent up into space from Florida on the 15th of October, 1997. Although the length of the journey to space was supposed to be four years, it travelled around space for 20 years. While travelling in the direction of the planet Saturn, the spacecraft passed Venus, Earth, asteroid 2685 Masursky and Jupiter.
Virgin Galactic
The owner of Virgin is Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic is his idea. He says that his intention is to:
'create a brand new spaceship industry fit for the twenty-first century, which will open up space for all – and change the world, for the better. From space, we can get a new perspective on everything.'
Virgin Galactic’s first spaceship was the VSS Unity.
On the 11th of July 2021 Richard Branson realised the dream of a lifetime. He travelled to the edge of space and experienced the feeling of floating without gravity. He said that he had dreamed of going into space since his childhood and that the experience of seeing the earth from space was absolutely magical.
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